The 2011 NBA Playoffs

Below I kept track of the number of free throws each team received during the 2010-11 NBA Playoffs. Why? Because if the NBA is controlling games through the referees, the number of free throws awarded will likely signify where the NBA's favors lie.

As "coincidence" would have it, the Eastern Conference representative, the Miami Heat, made more free throws in each of their three playoff series than their opponents even attempted. In total through the first three rounds, the Heat had 436 attempted free throws versus their opponents' 303. They made 349 compared to their opponents' 228--a difference of 121 more points for the Heat on the charity stripe alone. Average-wise, that gave the Heat over 8 points more per game in the 15 playoffs games leading to the Finals.

In comparison, the Western Conference representatives, the Dallas Mavericks, played the same total number of playoff games in their three playoff series (15 games). They attempted 378 total free throws, making 310 of them, compared to their opponents' 364 attempts with 289 made. The Mavericks were only up 21 points on their opponents in three series thanks to free throws (that's 100 fewer points than the Heat in the same number of games). This gave the Mavericks an average of only 1.4 more points per game than their opponents.

Nope.

Free Throw Totals

Winning team is in bold. Difference of 10 or more Free Throws in blue. More than 15 in green. More than 20 in red. An * designates home team.

Round One - Eastern Conference

Bulls-Pacers

Game 1 - Bulls (26 of 32)* - Pacers (11 of 17)

Game 2 - Bulls (27 of 34)* - Pacers (20 of 27) This doesn't include 4 horrible traveling calls against the Pacers following a Bulls turnover.

Game 3 - Bulls (23 of 27) - Pacers (17 of 18)* For some reason, the NBA upgraded two "hits" Pacers' Center Jeff Foster dished out in this game to "flagrant 1 fouls." What purpose this serves, as Foster will not face a suspension, is unclear.

Game 4 - Bulls (19 of 24) - Pacers (22 of 34)*

Game 5 - Bulls (22 of 27)* - Pacers (24 of 26)

---Bulls win 4-1. Totals: Bulls (117 of 144) - Pacers (94 of 122)---

Heat-76ers

Game 1 - Heat (31 of 39)* - 76ers (12 of 15)

Game 2 - Heat (23 of 29)* - 76ers (13 of 20)

Game 3 - Heat (24 of 30) - 76ers (13 of 19)*

Game 4 - Heat (17 of 21) - 76ers (14 of 16)*

Game 5 - Heat (21 of 25)* - 76ers (11 of 17)

---Heat win 4-1. Totals: Heat (116 of 144) - 76ers (63 of 87)---

Note in this series that the 76ers greatest number of free throw attempts in a game was 20, while the Heat's least amount of free throw attempts in a game was 21.

Game 2 - Mavericks (19 of 26)* - Trailblazers (18 of 27) This after it's reported the Mavs had lost 17 of the last 18 times ref Dan Crawford worked one of their playoff games.

Game 3 - Mavericks (13 of 23) - Trailblazers (17 of 21)*

Game 4 - Mavericks (10 of 10) - Trailblazers (22 of 23)* Mavericks owner Mark Cuban publicly claimed that two late calls were "blown" by officials in this game and that these calls were a contributing factor to the Mavs blowing a 23-point lead in this game. These comments will likely lead to a fine for Cuban.

Eastern Conference Finals

Heat-Bulls

Prior to the start of this series, the Heat have had the advantage in Free Throw Attempts over their opponents in two series by a margin of 104 total attempts. That's an average of 10.4 more attempts per game - keep it in mind.

NBA Finals

In all three of their playoff series this season, the Heat have made more free throws than their opponents have attempted.

Game 1 - Mavericks (25 of 32) - Heat (19 of 26)*

Game 2 - Mavericks (17 of 21) - Heat (16 of 24)*

Game 3 - Mavericks (22 of 27)* - Heat (12 of 15)

Game 4 - Mavericks (24 of 30)* - Heat (17 of 24)

C'mon, NBA, do you really take us for saps? Three games determined in the final seconds, and a Finals series guaranteed to go at least six games on the verge of a player lockout likely to be as ugly as the NFL's. Sheer luck on the NBA's part, right?

Notice that the Heat held the free throw advantage in only one game--Game 6--in the Finals. This was a complete reversal of fortune from their first three series in this playoff season. Think the NBA were using the Heat, then discarded them?

My guess was that giving the Mavericks the championship would bring Mavs' owner Mark Cuban to the owners' side in the then-looming NBA lockout. This proved to be true as the usually outspoken Cuban remained silent during the lockout even when it cut into the 2011-12 NBA season. The price for such silence? A long sought after ring.

"Shallow men believe in luck. Strong men believe in cause and effect." - Ralph Waldo Emerson; "I hate all sports as rabidly as a person who likes sports hates common sense." -- H. L. Mencken